Oculus Quest

The Oculus Quest is the next big thing coming into the Virtual reality market and Facebook has promised that it will enter the market sometime in the spring of 2019. Depending on the level of success experienced by the Quest when it launches, it could define the future of VR. The Quest is not meant to replace the high-end Rift. Rather, it serves as another headset that is very portable and offers some of the experience you would get on higher-powered devices.

We have set up a review of the Quest for you, so you will know what the fuss is all about before it finally gets out.

Features

Let’s look at some of the features of the Oculus Quest and the level of performance that can be expected once it hits the market.

Specs

The Quest is designed to offer you a PC-like experience with powerful graphics and high fidelity audio. The Oculus Insight tech gives the Quest the capability of special tracking, thereby allowing you to enjoy it in small spaces or in your large apartments. This is possible because of the four front-mounted cameras featured on the headset that help in tracking your movement. This is a significant advantage over the Rift, as the Rift requires you put external sensors around your room.

It also has two hand controllers that have more visibility than the touch controllers used in the Rift. The Quest uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, which isn’t really a top-class processor. The resolution is 1600 by 1440 per eye display, which is better than the Rift’s resolution. It also features in-ear speakers that are similar to those in the GO. This gives you a more immersive experience as the sound goes right into your ears.

Design

Unlike what you get with the Oculus Go, the Quest doesn’t have a wire that can restrict your movement, so you have the freedom to move around as you please. The Quest has all its processing power in the headset, making it easy to use it anywhere. The trade-off though is the high cost and the fact that you won’t be able to upgrade it like other Oculus VR headsets.

One concern that users have with the cordless design is the fact that the wires are often used by users to stay within the carved out space, so they won’t drift too far while playing. You don’t have to worry about this though, as the Quest boasts a chaperone system that will keep you from wandering off into the street while playing your game. This system features 6DOF (6 degrees of freedom) tracking which is superior to the 3DOF found in the GO.

Games library

Now to the juicy part. Definitely, this part interests most people. According to Oculus, about 50 games will be available on the headset when it is launched. Some of the games confirmed by Oculus include The Climb, Superhot VR, The Unspoken, Stormlands, Dead and Buried, and Robo Recall. It is also expected that a good number of quest-only games would be announced before the set date of arrival in 2019.

Performance

There is only so much we can say on its performance as it is not out yet. From the demo experience, the games look sharp and crisp. The Quest is in some way less powerful than the Rift, which is also a trade-off for the freedom it offers. The battery life of the headset is still not confirmed, so we may have to wait for its release before getting information on that.

The tracking range of this VR headset is 4000 square feet, which is quite impressive if you think about it. Also, being a tetherless headset, you don’t have to connect it to a PC like the Rift. It is a completely standalone device.

Price

“How much will it cost?” This is a question that often comes up. The Oculus Quest is set to debut at about $399, which is a bit pricey but when you consider its features, you will see that the price isn’t really over-the-top.

Pros

The cordless design offers freedom of movement.

There will be about 50 games available when it finally launches.

The visuals are quite good.

High-quality audio.

The chaperone system keeps you from wandering off while enjoying your game.

Cons

The battery life is unknown for now.

The Oculus Quest requires new software library.

The projected price is a bit steep especially when you consider the cost of other VR headsets.

Verdict

Sure, the Oculus Quest shares some specifications with the Go, but they are definitely different. The Quest has a cordless design and offers an impressive six degrees of freedom tracking, so you can move around as much as you want with the Quest. It also boasts inbuilt speakers that give you a better audio experience than some of its peers. Although the processor isn’t really the best you can find, it makes up for this with its excellent resolution, range and high level of comfort.

The number of unknown features make it difficult to give a definitive comment on the headset but based on the experience so far, it does look like a worthwhile piece of tech.